Fulham 2-1 Leicester: Alex Iwobi nets second-half winner after Emile Smith Rowe scores his first goal for his new club as Marco Silva’s men earn their opening win of the season
- Emile Smith Rowe scored his first Fulham goal in the first half at Craven Cottage
- Wout Faes equalised before Alex Iwobi scored the winning goal for Fulham
- LISTEN NOW: It’s all about to begin!available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Emile Smith Rowe’s early form at Fulham should give Marco Silva confidence that he is the man who can get the best out of the former Arsenal midfielder.
The 24-year-old opened the scoring in Fulham’s 2-1 win over Leicester City with a fine run and finish, before another former Arsenal man, Alex Iwobi, secured victory after Wout Faes controversially equalised for Leicester.
Smith Rowe endured a frustrating end to his time at boyhood club Arsenal, making just 13 Premier League appearances last season. A combination of injuries and increased competition for places meant his playing time was limited.
But after making a fresh start in London this summer, the Englishman is already showing that he is the man who can take Fulham to the next level.
“Last season he didn’t play football, and two seasons ago. I think it’s also the first goal in the Premier League for him in two years,” Silva said after Fulham’s win.
Alex Iwobi scored the winning goal as Fulham secured their first win of the season
Emile Smith Rowe scored his first Fulham goal and signalled he could take the club to the next level
Smith Rowe produced a fantastic run and finish after being played in by Adama Traore
“He needs moments like this to boost his confidence. Physically, he is still far from his best. Performance-wise, he will improve, he will know us better and the way we play, he will adapt more and adapt his body to the tough competition that is the Premier League.
“We will definitely see more of him in the future.”
If Smith Rowe does indeed have much more up his sleeve, then Fulham fans have reason to be excited as the attacking midfielder is already playing a key role in their team winning games.
Wout Faes (right) controversially levelled the score for Leicester in the closing stages of the first half
Marco Silva believes Smith Rowe has more in store after his impressive start
He gave his team a deserved lead against Leicester in the 18th minute, picking up a pass from Adama Traore and controlling the ball brilliantly. He went towards goal with Mads Hermansen and then calmly fired the ball past the opposition goalkeeper.
But it looked like a series of missed chances would cost Silva’s side victory when Faes levelled the score just before half-time by heading in a corner from Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside by Jamie Vardy, who blocked the view of goalkeeper Bernd Leno while in an offside position, but the decision was overturned following a VAR check.
Fulham, however, had another Arsenal old boy to thank for their home league victory. Antonee Robinson sent Iwobi through on goal from the left, but the ball ended up in the net after a deflection off Hermansen.